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Koreans show they are on the march with ‘grown up’ estate
POPPED over to Korea last month. As you do.
It was an event organised by huge car manufacturer Kia to showcase three things: their new mid-sized, D-segment estate, the Optima Sportswagon; their company and its ambitions; and (I think) their magnificent country.
You don’t need me to tell you that Kia and its sister company Hyundai have come a long way in recent years.
Just take a look at any Kia from the mid-noughties. While you could never fault the build quality or reliability they had all the styling hallmarks and panache of the cars favoured by walletconscious farmers, pensioners and the practically minded.
Compare them with the latest offerings. Less than ten years between them but about 50 years in terms of styling and approach. Night and day.
We got the chance to drive the Optima Sportswagon on a road route that took us tantalisingly close to the North Korean border, and also at the firm’s private test track at their impressive R&D facility. The road route was a weird one. You think we’ve got a lot of speed cameras in the UK? Er, not compared to South Korea.
Our entire trip was spent staring intently at the speedo and scanning the road ahead for the hundreds of speed humps.
What I can tell you from this trip is that the Optima Sportswagon has very compliant, well-damped suspension (just as well) and the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) is among the best in class.
Hushed, quiet and refined, so it is. It’s massive inside, too, with rear leg room and boot space a-go-go.
The test track proved far more informative, especially the wet grip track which was doused with water jets and filled with long sweeping corners, loops and direction changes.
The fitted ESC system was like the invisible hand of God keeping you safe.
You’d have to be partially blind, a massive weapons-grade idiot and wearing diving boots to spin or crash one of these.
On the very limit of lateral grip the ESC system allows the car to maintain a neutral, balanced poise where your chosen line can be tightened or widened just by varying throttle inputs.
Amazing really, and an incredible demonstration of just how good the standard Michelin tyres are – they were hot to the touch after just three laps of a soaking wet track. On the undulating (and bone dry) handling circuit the Optima’s most impressive trick was through the faster chicanes.
It changed direction rapidly and in a manner that belied its size and length. Oh, and its feeling of un-crashability. (I know that’s not a word but it is now – it’s in print.)
Kia have poached some big European names in engineering and styling to help them move ahead. A smart move, clearly. Check out the lines of this new European market-only estate. Are you seeing a bit of Passat? A bit of Honda Accord? Handsome, innit? Optima Sportswagon aside, during our stay in Korea there was much whispering and heavy suggestions of great things to come. Driver’s cars, cars with sporty attitude and performance, and aspirational cars not just wellbuilt, reliable and dependable ones – Kia’s stock in trade up to now. Having seen the country – a giant powerhouse of manufacturing and rude prosperity – a bit like an American-ised Japan, it’s not hard to see why Kia is a company flat-out in sixth gear with a steely gaze fixed on the far horizon. The new 1.7-diesel Optima Sportswagon comes with a seven-year warranty in three trim specs – 2, 3 and GT Line. Prices start from £22,295 rising to £30,595.